Fun Tips For Teaching Kids to Cook in the Kitchen

Getting kids in the kitchen can either be a huge chaotic mess, or lots of fun learning together!

Let’s talk about how we can set ourselves up for an enjoyable experience for all. Here are our best tips.

Why should we even include our kids in the cooking process?

There are SO many reasons to include our children in the creation of family meals. 

#1- We are trying to raise capable people.

They won’t magically be endowed with a great set of cooking skills the night they turn 18. No, it will take practice and time to gain the confidence to create wholesome meals for themselves someday. (They might not live with us forever!)

If they don’t learn how to cook they are likely to turn to convenience foods that are far from nourishing. If they are taught how to create healthy meals from whole foods, they will thank you for their healthy lifestyle!

Maybe we don’t need to replicate our own little culinary school at home, but we do have a responsibility to teach our children how to take care of themselves adequately.

#2- You deserve a little help! 

I know, I know. It is so much easier and faster to just do it ourselves.

The busy weeknight meals just need to get pulled together sometimes, I get that.

BUT the more you let them help, the more helpful they are.

It can feel like a slow process, but I promise it will pay in dividends. Before we know it, they will really be helpful helpers!

#3 – This time can be used for a little special bonding time with our sweet kiddos. 

Our children are naturally curious and want to know what we’re doing. Let’s use that to our advantage!

If we plan to start making supper 30 minutes earlier we can have the extra bandwidth to include a child in our supper preparation.

They will think it’s a great special time with you and you will also be getting supper done… it’s a win-win! (Not to mention all those wonderful life skills they are also learning!)

This doesn’t have to only include cooking skills!

There are so many different facets to putting together a meal for a family.

Kids can be included in the meal planning, grocery shopping, setting the table, and cleaning up after meals. (And they should be!)

When you’re putting together a meal plan for your family, go ahead and ask the kids if they have any requests. If you have lots of eager kiddos, maybe you could just pick one kid a week to suggest a meal. 

The grocery shopping is a tricky one, honestly. One of the biggest money saving tips for groceries is shopping ALONE. So, I understand this one can be hard to include the kids in.

Plus it’s really hard to make logical methodical decisions while your children are running different directions in the grocery store. So use your discretion here.

BUT if you can find a way to include a kid in the grocery shopping, it can be a huge blessing to them.

Think about how much planning and thought goes into finding good prices on groceries. We should really be explaining some of this thought process to our kids so they are learning how much goes into the meals they enjoy.

Plus, it can be super fun for the kids to get to pick out a new vegetable or fruit to try. This can be a really easy way to get picky eaters to try different foods. 

Setting the table is THE BEST job for kids of all ages.

They get to set out the plates and napkins and maybe even assign everyone’s seats. Letting them add in a table runner or some cloth napkins will make it even more special. They will be so proud of themselves!

And don’t forget to have the kids help with cleanup. Break it down into little micro-jobs and everyone can do a little bit to help. (Clear table, put leftovers away, wipe table, sweep under table, rinse dirty dishes, load dishwasher, etc.)

Older kids VS young kids

Now, there will obviously be a huge difference between a 4-year old “helping” and a 13-year old helping out in the kitchen. So let’s break it down between the young children and older children.

Young age children can start helping long before you would even think!

Tonight, my 18 month old boy practiced stirring his cars in a metal bowl with a wooden spoon. He was very happy about all the noise it made!

Letting them literally “be” in the kitchen despite what they’re doing is a great way to begin. Then, as they grow, they will naturally graduate to bigger jobs. 

*Young children should ALWAYS have adult supervision in the kitchen. Accidents can happen so quickly, and we never want them to get hurt in the kitchen.

Great jobs for the younger kids include: stirring room-temp ingredients (developing those fine motor skills!), helping to collect ingredients, chopping soft vegetables (*kid-friendly knives!*), making salads (salad kits make this SO EASY!), setting the table and cleaning up after the meal.

I heard a friend of mine once say how her 3-year olds always learn how to crack their own eggs for breakfast. I was blown away!

She said they just learned in a separate little bowl and she helped them get the shells out. Before long they were proficient.

This is just a great example of how little ones can do so much more than we sometimes expect.

So, when you’re getting your little kids in the kitchen, don’t be afraid to let them try new jobs. They will have such a great sense of pride in their accomplishments. 

Letting little ones help with simple tasks will also help them be more adventurous and want to try new foods. As they are smelling new healthy foods in the kitchen, they might just decide it smells “yummy!” 

Setting everyone up for success.

I’m a minimalist, so I truly don’t think there are many things you NEED to have for children to help in the kitchen. That being said, I do have a couple recommendations for younger children.

The first thing I highly recommend is a toddler kitchen stool with sides. Once they are on your level and can see what you’re doing, they will be ready to learn!

If you have lots of little children, you can find some stools with a larger platform to accommodate all the little chefs. 

I also would recommend getting the younger children some kid-friendly knives.

Otherwise, I think the kids really just want to see what is already being used in the kitchen! Metal bowls filled with measuring spoons and a wooden spoon makes for a great time of entertainment.

Sometimes younger children can truly be helpful with the prep work of a recipe, but other times they will just have a great time stirring their own little bowl of utensils. 

Disclaimer: Little kids in the kitchen is going to inevitably be messy. LET IT BE! You can clean up afterwards.

If you’re a ball of nerves and freaking out about every little mess or mistake they make, they’re going to withdraw from wanting to be involved.

Be calm.

It’s no big deal. It’s all going to be okay! Remember, we are playing the long game here. This is totally worth it!

Adding to the previous disclaimer…. Any age group in the kitchen is going to make a mess!

I’ve even called the kids to the kitchen when I’ve been cooking by myself so they can see that even mommy makes a mess. It’s just the nature of the process sometimes.

Learning to clean up the kitchen is just another part of the process.

What about cooking with older kids?

This will look different depending on the age of the child, and the amount of time they have already spent in the kitchen.

I was doing a church function and had some children helping in the kitchen and the older children were confused about how nonstick spray works. (No shame!)

That’s just a good reminder that we are all on our own little chef adventure. 

But the best way to engage older children is by inviting them in and seeing what they are particularly interested in.  

You could even have them help out with the recipe conversions and flex their math skills when adding fractions! It will take a little extra time, but they will be so proud.

Just getting the older children interested in helping in the kitchen is a great place to start.

Try to keep it light and fun. (I know how challenging that can be when you’re just trying to get supper on the table.) 

As children get older and start doing bigger jobs, it will be crucial to start explaining food safety to them.

Why do we clean up after handling raw meats? Why do we need to be sure to sanitize the cutting board?

Why is it important to wash hands before and after handling raw foods?

If the kids leave home at least knowing basic food safety, they will have a great foundation for their cooking skills.

Their cooking skills can be honed for their entire lifetime!  I mean, aren’t we all still trying to learn new things in the kitchen?

Don’t overthink it!

*You absolutely do not need to use “kid-friendly recipes”.

Let them pick recipes that the whole family will enjoy. Making delicious meals together is the goal! This will look different for everyone’s unique family. And that is the joy of it all.

Bringing the family together in the kitchen to enjoy learning how to cook is going to create so much joy in your home! Yes, it will be messy sometimes. But that’s part of the adventure. Before you know it, those little ones are going to be a big help in the kitchen.

And who knows, maybe they will even be teaching us new things in the kitchen some day!